Monday, November 26, 2007

I heart the second amendment.

Everyone who knows me knows that I love the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution. I am a staunch supporter of the right to bear arms, and an avid shooter and collector of firearms.

With that being said, Let me list my five favorite guns, in no particular order, and why I like them. You may disagree, and if you want to go through life being wrong all the time, fine.

1. RugerMkII - I specifically like the MkII, and I even more specifically like the MkII with the bull barrel. Shooting a .22 handgun is very fun, and while there are other .22 handguns that are good, this one happens to be my favorite, and it is very, very unlikely that I will ever be without at least one.

2. Ruger 10/22 - The stock 10/22 works fine for me, although it certainly has it's critics. Whatever. The 10/22 has more aftermarket options that any other firearm you can name, has a superior rotary magazine, and has pretty good factory sights. If you don't like 10/22's, your probably wearing square glasses and listening to the latest Franz Ferdinand album on your iPod.

3. Springfield 03-A3 - The Springfield 1903 rifle is a fine rifle, I just happen to prefer the aperture sights of the 03-A3. I like the caliber (.30-06) and I like the way the rifle feels. Additionally, they are pretty accurate. Really, there isn't much not to like about these rifles.

4. 1911 - Sigh... As much as I complain about the ridiculous amount of praise that the 1911 gets, and as much as I hate the trendiness and over-inflated prices of the 1911, I have to admit that it is a gun I very much like. It's got a good feel in the hand, and properly set-up, they are just a joy to shoot. I happen to own a Taurus PT1911, which has a couple of features that I consider key to an enjoyable shooting experience: Beavertail grip safety and good sights. Without the beavertail, I get bit every time the slide comes back, which sucks. Anyway, my Taurus represents about the perfect 1911 for me, and has brought me, kicking and screaming, into the 1911 fold, although I still don't think that they are the pinnacle of pistol design.

5. Remington 870 - I will go to my grave arguing that the 870 is the best all around shotgun of all time. I really can't say much more past that, because that's just how it is. If you don't like 870's, there has to be something wrong with you.

Honorable Mention - MosinNagant 91/30. These Russian mil-surp rifles are super cheap (around $125 dollars), kind of ugly, and fairly heavy, yet I love them dearly. Why? Simplicity of design, a good cartridge (7.62x54r, very close ballistically to the .30-06), and fun to shoot due to a loud boom and a pretty impressive fireball. Did I also mention that they are very cheap to shoot? Ammo prices seem to be going up, but if you look, you can still find rounds for around 12 cents a round, making it about the cheapest centerfire rifle ammo around. Accuracy is workmanlike, which is good enough for most purposes.

Anyway, those are my top 5 favorites. I own more and different guns than these, but these happen to be my favorite.